Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2009-10: Black skated for the Regina Pat Canadians midget AAA team in Saskatchewan and was the team’s second-leading scorer. In 42 games he scored 22 goals with 27 assists and had 40 penalty minutes. Regina finished ninth in the 12-team league; missing the SMHL playoffs.

2010-11: Black appeared in six games with Swift Current after the Broncos acquired his WHL rights from the Edmonton Oil Kings in December. Black was an assistant captain and the league’s leading scorer for the SMHL’s Regina Pat Canadians prior to joining Swift Current. In six games with the Broncos he scored 1 goal with 1 assist and was minus-four. The Broncos missed the playoffs; finishing with the WHL’s second-worst record. Playiing for the Pat Canadians, Graham scored a league-high 47 goals and led the SMHL with 76 points in 43 games. Regina finished fifth in the SMHL; falling to the Notre Dame Argos in the playoffs. Black scored 7 goals with 3 assists in the five-game series.

2011-12: Black emerged as a strong two-way forward in his first full WHL season with Swift Current. Playing on a Broncos team that showed improvement (fifth in the six-team East Division) but missed the playoffs, Black was plus-3 (the second-best mark on the team). He scored 17 goals with 33 assists and had 49 penalty minutes in 71 games. The modest numbers were fourth-best on a team that struggled to score. In his second year of draft eligibility, Black was ranked 83rd amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings prior to the 2012 NHL Draft and was selected by New Jersey in the fifth round (135th overall).

2012-13: Black was the third-leading scorer for Swift Current in his second WHL season. Black’s 24 goals were second only to Adam Lowry (45) among Broncos and he also had 26 assists; finishing plus-4 with 33 penalty minutes in 68 regular season games. He missed two games late in the season due to illness but skated in all five games in the playoff series with Calgary. Black had 1 goal with 3 assists and was minus-2 with 2 penalty minutes against the Hitmen.

2013-14: Black made his pro hockey debut and signed a three-year entry-level contract with New Jersey in April 2014— skating in two games with Devils AHL affiliate Albany following his third season with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. He was plus-1 with no points nor penalties with Albany and did not play in any games in the AHL playoffs. Black attended training camp with New Jersey before returning to the Broncos and was the WHL’s eighth-leading scorer in his overage season. He scored 34 goals and was fourth in the league with 63 assists; finishing plus-18 with 43 penalty minutes in 69 regular season games. Swift Current finished second in the East Division and lost to Medicine Hat in six games in a first round series. Black scored 2 goals with 2 assists and was minus-3 with 6 penalty minutes in six playoff games.

Talent Analysis

Black can contribute in all facets of the game with his on-ice smarts and tenacious two-way play. He's an above-average skater with good vision, passing skills, and a sneaky shot release. Black’s play away from the puck really stands out. He works tremendously hard in the defensive zone, and is a keen and responsible checker. He excels in the face-off circle and shows a lot of grit and determination when it comes to helping out his team at the other end of the rink.

Future

After beating Graves' disease, Black's future has never been brighter. After attending training camp with the Devils he was assigned to AHL affiliate Albany to start the 2014-15 season. In his first year of pro hockey, he is showing promise as a two-way player, frequently skating with former first-round pick Stefan Matteau on the second line. Long range he projects as a quality depth player who can chip in offensively.

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Photo: Forward Ben Thomson played a key part of North Bay’s deep run through the OHL playoffs. New Jersey signed Thomson to an entry-level deal on May 23rd, 2014. (courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

While the New Jersey Devils missed the 2013-14 NHL playoffs, quite a few of their prospects had impactful postseasons. Their AHL affiliate reached the playoffs for the first time since 2010, giving many pro prospects their first taste of the postseason. Other players at lower levels, such as Damon Severson and Ben Thomson, also had strong playoff performances.